Tumbi hospital conducts cleft lips surgeries

HARRIET KIAMA in Kibaha

TUMBI Regional Referral Hospital in Coast Region has started conducting surgeries for children and adults with cleft lips and palate deformity free of charge.

The Medical In-Charge at the hospital, Dr Edward Wayi, has invited the general public to use the opportunity accordingly.

Dr Wayi said at the hospital yesterday that they had started to perform the operations from September last year with assistance from an international organisation known as Smile Train from United States of America.

“Up to now we have managed to operate a total of 60 patients, including children and adults.

I am taking this opportunity to welcome all individuals who have this problem or have the family member or relative to bring them to the hospital without hesitation,” he said. He explained that Cleft lip and Palate is a deformity whereby a child is born with an upper open lip and it can extend to other organs like nose, eyes, ears and even up to the brain.

“This deformity has many effects especially to new born babies as may affect the breathing system and to some children is difficult for them to eat,” he said.

Children and adults who have this form of deformity are experiencing different challenges including being stigmatized from the society due to their facial physical appearances which is different from other people.

“We have seen many families get divided and marriage being destroyed when a child with this kind of deformity is born.

In most cases, a woman is blamed when she gives birth to a child with this problem”, he added.

Dr Wayi said that up to now there are no clear reasons for the cause of the problem although various researches have related it with excessive drinking, smoking and even lack of certain nutrients.

In the children’s ward, a number of kids who have already been operated and others waiting to be operated could be seen with their mothers, some of them from Ruvuma, Rukwa, Tanga and Arusha regions.

Helena January from Ruvuma Region who brought her child Emilian Simon (4), said that she is now happy that her son has been operated and they are ready to return home to start a new life.